1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine having a water guide forming vertically and horizontally flowing wash water so as to improve the washing efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, a washing machine performing a washing and dehydrating processes comprises a tub 20 installed within a body 10, a washing and dehydrating tub (hereinafter referred to as washing tub; 30) installed within the tub 10 and receives the wash water, a pulsator 40 installed at a bottom surface of the washing tub 30, a driving section 50 installed at a lower portion of the tub 20, and a clutch assembly 60 for selectively transmitting the driving force from the driving section 50 to the pulsator 40 and the washing tub 30.
The washing tub 30 performs a washing and a dehydrating processes, and has a balancer 31 at a upper side thereof. Also, the pulsator 40 has a plurality of blades 41 which are radially formed at the lower portion thereof.
The washing tub 30 has at least one water guide 70 along the inner peripheral surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, the water guide 70 defines a vertical passageway within the inner peripheral surface of the washing tub 30. The water guide 70 has a guide member 71 which defines the vertical passageway between the inner peripheral surface of the washing tub 30, and a duct member 72 for supporting the guide member 71 with respect to the washing tub 30. A discharge port 73 is defined at a upper side of the water guide 70, while an inflow port 74 is defined at a lower side thereof. The wash water of the washing tub 30 flows in through the inflow port 74 so as to flow through the water guide 70, and then discharged through the discharge port 73. The discharge port 73 of the water guide 70 is installed with a net 75 for filtering out foreign matters mixed with wash water. Also, the washing tub 30 is defined with a plurality of holes at a side thereof. The tub 20 and the washing tub 30 are interconnected with each other by the holes.
During a washing/rinsing process, the driving force from the driving section 50 is transmitted to the pulsator via the clutch assembly 60. Accordingly, the pulsator rotates so as to form a rotational water stream in the washing tub 30. The pulsator 40 is alternately rotated in opposite directions by the driving section 50. Thus, by the rotational water stream, the washing process is carried out.
During the rotation of the pulsator 40, the blades 41 pushes the wash water into the water guide 70. Thus, the wash water flows into the water guide 70 continuously flows therethrough to the upper portion of the washing tub 30 so as to finally flow out through the discharge port 73 installed at the upper portion of the washing tub 30. At this situation, the foreign matters mixed with the wash water are filtered out by the net 75, and the wash water falls to the bottom of the washing tub 30.
As described, the clothes are washed by the rotational water stream, and by the stream of water circulates through the water guide 70. More specifically, the wash water falling from the discharge port 73 of the water guide 70 beats the clothes in the washing tub 30 so as to improve the washing/rinsing performance. Also, the wash water discharged from the water guide 70 submerges the clothes which was floated by the rotational water stream downward into the wash water of the washing tub 30.
During a dehydrating process, the driving force from the driving section 50 is transmitted to the pulsator 40 and the washing tub 30 via the clutch assembly 60, so that the washing tub 30 and the pulsator 40 simultaneously rotates at a high velocity. The dehydrating process is carried out by the centrifugal force generated therefrom.
However, the conventional washing machine has a drawback that the wash water is discharged only through the discharge portion 73 of the water guide 70, which causes the performance deteriorating of the washing machine.
More specifically, since the rotational water stream is generated by the pulsator 40 during the washing/rinsing process, the clothes tend to attached around the inner peripheral surface of the washing tub 30 because the clothes are affected by the centrifugal force. Even worse, the wash water from the discharge port 73 of the water guide 70 falls directly down to the center portion of the washing tub. Accordingly, the wash water may not affect the clothes to be washed which are attached around the inner peripheral surface of the washing tub 30, and it brings deteriorated washing performance of the washing machine.